Guide to Finding the Right Manga/Anime for You
By Jay Coram on March 25, 2024
The popularity of anime and has increased over the years. With so many anime already out and even more releasing each year, it can be difficult for new anime fans to find a show to enjoy.
Luckily most, if not all, anime and manga are organized by their demographics: Shonen, Shojo, Seinen, Josei and Kodomomuke. These are useful for finding out the general feel of the anime or manga before you dedicate your time.
Shonen – The most popular style of manga and anime, mostly targeted to young boys, shonen is generally centred around action, comedy, and a focus on found family. Some popular shonen series are Naruto, One Piece and My Hero Academia.
Seinen – Like shonen, seinen is focused on action and violence but it usually has a darker tone. Seinen is made for adult men and covers many topics not suitable for a younger audience. These titles include Akira, Monster and Tokyo Ghoul.
Shojo – Focusing on romance and drama, shojo is made for young girls and includes titles like Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket and Yona of the Dawn.
Josei – A more mature version of shoujo usually targeted to women 18 years old and up and the least popular demographic. While it touches on the same topics it uses a more mature tone. This includes Usagi Drop, Princess Jellyfish and Chihayafuru.
Kodomomuke – In simple terms, “Kids Anime” these are the anime that have lessons of friendship and are generally lighthearted, this includes Pokemon, Digimon and Hello Kitty.
While these demographics are not reflective of the entire audience, they give you an idea of what style of writing you will find and what genres to expect in the anime or manga you end up choosing. On top of demographics If you have a particular genre you like it makes the search so much easier. If you would like to check out all the different genres anime has to offer check out MyAnimeList.